The promotional campaign for the 2020 Emmy Awards tried to keep expectations low. After all, the combination of social distancing and live broadcast created a situation where things were bound to go off the rails. However, except for one flaming wastebasket, Sunday night's show went off without a hitch.
Many of the hallmarks of a televised awards ceremony remained unchanged. There were fancy dresses, rambling speeches and stupid jokes aplenty. Some of the night's highlights came about because of creative accommodations. All in all, the 2020 Emmys were a lot like other awards shows, and live TV in general, in the era of COVID: sometimes awkward, sometimes awesome and a welcome distraction.
Awkward Moments From the 2020 Emmys
Jennifer Aniston was the show's first live presenter, but the two bits she and host Jimmy Kimmel attempted not only confused America about Dr. Fauci's social distancing guidelines, they almost burned the place down. At first, the pair yelled at each other from about 60 feet apart. The unfunny joke was that they couldn't hear one another and therefore misconstrued what was being said. Then, with a mere few feet separating them, they sanitized and lit fire to the envelope for lead actress in a comedy series, which resulted in a trash-can blaze that proved harder to extinguish that producers probably bargained for.
Kimmel's average-at-best host banter clearly demonstrated how tricky COVID-based humor really is. Yes, to a certain extent, it's healthy for everybody to laugh through the extreme stress of a global pandemic, but predictable observation-style comedy falls flat in the face of real anxiety and loss. Political swipes do, too. Kimmel tried to tackle topics like President Trump and Black Lives Matter in pre-scripted moments (like a bit with Anthony Anderson), but he didn't seem invested and the efforts played more like obligatory mentions rather than witty commentary. A joke about calling ICE on John Oliver was particularly tone deaf.
Awkward (But Kind of Awesome) Moments From the 2020 Emmys
The home viewing audience was expecting a socially distanced affair, but instead, the first few minutes of the telecast repeatedly cut to shots of a packed crowd of raucous celebrities. Social media was about to explode with outrage, but awards-show nerds recognized what this was immediately: last year's gowns and tuxedos. The stunt lent an unsettling atmosphere to the proceedings, but it served its purpose... two of them, actually. It made the night feel like a proper ceremony, and it set up Kimmel to deliver one of his better punchlines: that, of course, stars wouldn't be in attendance sans masks. "This isn't a MAGA rally."
Emmy night heaped an embarrassment of riches upon Schitt's Creek, which swept the comedy categories for the first time in history. Fans of the sweet and snarky Canadian sitcom, which ended its six-year run in April, were no doubt heartened to see creator and star Daniel Levy collect trophy after trophy. But Levy was also correct in his prediction, during one of his multiple acceptance speeches that, "the internet's about to turn on me." Public opinion did almost instantly decide that it was happy for Schitt's Creek, but other shows (eh-hem, The Good Place) whose finales also aired in 2020 were also deserving of a little love.
Of the myriad changes made to the proceedings, none was more dystopian or hilarious than the frequent on-camera appearances of trophy presenters in hazmat suits. But the absurdity didn't end there. To preserve the surprise, they were sent to the homes of every nominee, which meant when someone lost, a person in comically oversized protective gear simply waved and walked away with the Emmy they didn't win. Ramy Youssef posted an account of his loss, which is certain to become a meme or GIF.
Awesome Moments From the 2020 Emmys
Television producers have gotten better at solving for coronavirus restrictions since they became a necessity in March, and viewers have grown accustomed to seeing celebrities talking in front of their bookshelves. The format of the Emmys -- which interspersed Kimmel's on-stage hosting duties with live feed from over 100 remote locations -- allowed the show to be appropriately self-deprecating, but it also allowed participants to seem more genuine. Watching winners Uzo Aduba and Zendaya joyously accept their awards at home with their families felt more warmly authentic than watching them trot up to a podium ever could. In many ways, this year's ceremony resembled the Democratic National Convention, with its greatly varying production values, social consciousness and mix of famous and regular people.
One nice touch was the inclusion of teachers, truck drivers and first responders as presenters. The telecast had more reverence for their selfless contributions than it did for its own honorees, as it should. It's become fashionable in some circles to disparage Hollywood for being out of touch, but the entertainment industry, and the many people it employs, have been just as affected by the pandemic as anyone else. To acknowledge, for example, standout healthcare workers before acknowledging standout work in the television industry was an empathetic show of goodwill.
This year's nominees and winners were also more representative of the Black community than ever before, and recipients used that opportunity to deliver some powerful statements. Winners Regina King and Uzo Aduba both wore shirts bearing Breonna Taylor's name. King's Watchmen co-star and winner, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, gave a moving speech about the power and importance of Black women. Watchmen creator, Damon Lindelof, gave a history lesson and paid tribute to the victims of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. And Tyler Perry, who was presented with the Governor's Award, wove together an inspirational story about his grandmother's quilt in a call for progress and unity.